NAVAJO  GAMBLING  SONGS 


Dr,  WASHINGTON  MATTHEWS,  U.S.A. 


[Reprinted  from  The  American  Anthropologist,     January,  1889, 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C.  : 

JUDD  &  DETWEILER,  PRINTERS. 

1889. 


(7 


t^zi  <*  3 
Bancroft  Library  THE 

AMERICAN  ANTHROPOLOGIST. 

VOL.  2.  WASHINGTON,  L).  C.,  JANUARY,  1889.  No.  i. 

NAVAJO  GAMBLING  SONGS. 

BY    DR.    WASHINGTON    MATTHEWS,    U.    S.    ARMY. 

The  Navajos  have  a  great  number  of  songs  which  have  been 
handed  down  in  the  tribe  for  generations  and  whose  forms  are  well 
established.  Those  songs,  which  pertain  to  their  rites  and  mythol 
ogy,  are  so  numerous  that  I  have  no  hope  of  ever  making  a  collec 
tion  that  will  approximate  completeness.  , 

In  addition  to  these  transmitted  songs,  they  have  countless  im 
provisations,  heard  at  all  dances  and  social  gatherings  not  of  a 
religious  character.  The  difficulties  in  the  way  of  the  Navajo  im 
provisators  may  not  seem  to  us  very  important  when  we  learn  that 
meaningless  syllables  may  be  added  at  will  to  fill  out  the  verses,  and 
that  rhyming  terminations  are  not  required.  Yet  they  undoubtedly 
have  prosodicat  laws  understood,  if  not  formulated,  to  conform 
to  which  thej-  are  often  obliged  to  take  liberal  poetic  licenses  and 
employ  terms  not  used  in  ordinary  conversation. 

The  songs  selected  for  presentation  here  were  sung  in  a  game 
called  Kesitce*  which,  in  the  winter  season,  is  the  favorite  game  for 
stakes.  Only  a  few  can  I  give.  To  collect  all,  even  of  this  partic 
ular  set  of  songs,  would  take  more  time  than  I  will,  probably,  ever 
be  able  to  devote  to  all  branches  of  Navajo  ethnology.  One  old 
man,  in  reply  to  my  question  as  to  the  number  of  songs  sung  in 
this  game,  replied  that  there  were  four  thousand^  Of  course,  this 
was  an  exaggeration  and  intended  t4>v~beVuriele'rstbod  as  such  ;  but 
the  statement  was  designed  to  convey  some  idea  of  the  great  num 
ber  that  existed.  Another  Indian,  an  inveterate  old  gambler,  who 
had  made  Kesitce,  "  the  study  of  his  life,"  said  that  there  was  not  a 
thing  that  walked  or  flew  or  crept  or  crawled  in  all  the  world  (as 

*  From  Ke,  moccasins,  and  sitce,  side  by  side,  parallel  to  one  another  in  a  row. 

o 


MS 


THE;  AMERICAN  ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  n. 

known  to  the  Navajos,  of  course)  that  had  not  at  least  one  appro 
priate  song  in  the  game,  and  that  many  had  more  than  one  song. 
He  further  stated  that  it  took  him  four  years  to  learn  all  he  knew. 

I  have  not  contented  myself  with  hearing  these  songs  from  the 
mouth  of  one  individual,  but  have  had  them  sung  to  me  by  many 
persons  from  widely  distant  parts  of  the  Navajo  country — persons 
who  had,  perhaps,  never  exchanged  a  word  with  one  another  in 
their  lives.  The  perfect  uniformity  with  which  they  were  repeated 
in  most  cases,  and  the  close  approach  to  uniformity  in  all  other 
cases,  were  wonderful. 

These,  like  all  other  transmitted  songs  of  this  tribe,  depend  on  a 
legend  for  their  explanation.  Recited  by  themselves,  they  seem 
almost  meaningless;  sung  in  connection  with  the  story  they  are  in 
tended  to  embellish,  their  significance  is  at  once  apparent.  It  is, 
therefore,  necessary  that  I  should  tell  something  of  the  myth  of  the 
Kesitce;  and,  in  order  that  the  myth  may  be  fully  understood,  a 
brief  description  of  the  game  must  be  given. 

THE    GAME   OF    THE    KESITCE. 

This  is,  to  some  extent,  sacred  in  its  nature,  for  the  playing  is 
confined  to  the  winter,  the  only  time  when  their  mytns  may  be  told 
and  their  most  important  ceremonies  conducted.  It  is  practiced 
only  during  the  dark  hours.  The  real  reason  for  this  is  probably 
that  the  stone  used  in  the  game  cannot  be  hidden  successfully  by 
daylight;  but  if  you  ask  an  Indian  why  the  game  is  played  only  at 
night,  he  will  account  for  it  by  referring  you  to  the  myth  and  say 
ing  that  he  on  whom  the  sun  shines  while  he  is  engaged  in  the  game 
will  be  struck  blind.  I  have  heard  that  on  some  occasions,  when 
the  stakes  are  heavy  and  the  day  begins  to  dawn  on  an  undecided 
contest,  they  close  all  the  apertures  of  the  lodge  with  blankets, 
blacken  the  skin  around  their  eyes,  place  a  watch  outside  to  prevent 
intrusion,  and  for  a  short  time  continue  their  sport. 

The  implements  of  the  game  are  eight  moccasins;  a  roundish 
stone  or  pebble  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter ;  a  blanket 
used  as  a  screen;  a  stick  with  which  to  strike  the  moccasins;  a 
chip  blackened  on  one  side  that  they  toss  up  to  decide  which  party 
shall  begin  the  game,  and  one  hundred  and  two  counters,  each 
about  nine  inches  long  made  of  a  stiff,  slender  root-leaf  of  the 
Yucca  angustifolia.  Two  of  these  counters  are  notched  on  the 
margins. 


Jan.  1889.]  NAVAJO    GAMBLING   SONGS. 

The  moccasins  are  buried  in  the  ground  so  that  only  about  an 
inch  of  their  tops  appear  and  they  are  filled  to  the  ground  level  with 
powdered  earth  or  sand.  They  are  placed  side  by  side  a  few  inches 
apart  in  two  rows,  one  on  each  side  of  the  fire.  The  players  are  di 
vided  into  two  parties,  each  controlling  one  row  of  moccasins.  When, 
by  tossing  up  the  chip,  they  have  decided  which  party  shall  begin 
the  lucky  ones  hold  up  a  screen  to  conceal  their  operations  and 
hide  the  ball  in  one  of  the  moccasins,  covering  it  well  with 
sand. 

When  all  is  ready  they  lower  the  screen  and  allow  that  person  to 
come  forward  whom  their  opponents  have  selected  to  find  the  ball. 
He  strikes  with  a  stick  the  moccasin  in  which  he  supposes  the  ball 
to  lie.  If  his  guess  is  correct  he  takes  the  stone,  his  comrades  be 
come  the  hiders  and  his  opponents  the  seekers ;  but  if  he  fails  to 
indicate  the  place  wherein  the  pebble  is  hid  the  hiders  win  some  of 
the  counters,  the  number  won  depending  on  the  position  of  the 
moccasin  struck  and  the  position  of  the  one  containing  the  stone. 
Thus  each  party  is  always  bound  to  win  while  it  holds  the  stone  and 
always  bound  to  lose  while  its  opponent  holds  it. 

The  system  of  countiug  is  rather  intricate,  and  though  I  perfectly 
comprehend  it  I  do  not  consider  a  full  description  of  it  in  this  con 
nection  as  necessary  to  tfte  proper  understanding  of  the  myth.  It 
will  suffice  to  say  that  the  number  of  counters  lost  at  any  one  un 
successful  guess  can  only  be  either  four,  six,  or  ten ;  these  are  the 
only  "counts"  in  the  game. 

When  the  game  begins  the  counters  are  held  by  some  uninterested 
spectator  and  handed  'to  either  side  according  as  it  wins.  When 
this  original  holder  has  given  all  the  counters  out,  the  winners  take 
from  the  losers.  When  one  side  has  won  all  the  counters  the  game 
is  done.  The  original  holder  parts  with  the  two  notched  counters, 
called  "grandmothers,"  last.  One  of  the  party  receiving  them 
sticks  them  up  in  the  rafters  of  the  hogan  (lodge)  and  says  to  them 
"Go  seek  your  grandchildren"  (Y.  <?.  bring  the  other  counters  back 
to  our  side).  The  possession  of  the  "grandmothers"  is  supposed 
to  bring  good  luck. 

A  good  knowledge  of  the  songs  is  thought  to  assist  the  gamblers 
in  their  work,  probably  under  the  impression  that  the  spirits  of  the 
primeval  animal  gods  are  there  to  help  such  as  sing  of  them.  A 
song  begun  during  an  "inning"  (to  borrow  a  term  from  the  field) 
must  be  continued  while  the  inning  last.  Should  this  inning  be 


4  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  II. 

short  it  is  not  considered  lucky  to  sing  the  same  song  again  during 
the  game. 

EPITOME  OF  THE  MYTH  OF  THE    KESITCE. 

In  the  ancient  days  there  were,  as  there  are  now,  some  animals 
who  saw  better,  could  hunt  better,  and  were  altogether  happier  in 
the  darkness  than  in  the  light;  and  there  were  others  who  liked 
not  the  darkness  and  were  happy  only  in  the  light  of  day.  The 
animals  of  the  night  wished  it  would  remain  dark  forever  and  the 
animals  of  the  day  wished  that  the  sun  would  shine  forever.  At 
last  they  met  in  council  in  the  twilight  to  talk  the  matter  over  and 
the  council  resolved  that  they  should  play  a  game  by  hiding  a  stone 
in  a  moccasin  (as  in  the  game  now  called  Kesitce)  to  settle  their 
differences.  If  the  night  animals  won  the  sun  should  never  rise 
again,  if  the  day  animals  succeeded  never  more  should  it  set.  So 
when  night  fell  they  lit  a  fire  and  commenced  the  game. 

In  order  to  determine  which  side  should  first  hide  the  stone  they 
took  a  small  weather-stained  fragment  of  wood  and  rubbed  one  side 
with  charcoal.  They  tossed  it  up;  if  it  fell  with  the  black  side  up 
the  nocturnal  party  we.re  to  begin,  but  it  fell  with  the  gray  side  up 
and  those  of  the  diurnal  side  took  the  stone.  These  raised  a  blanket 
to  conceal  their  operations  and  sang  a  song,  which  is  sung  to  this 
day  by  the  Navajos  when  they  raise  the  screen  in  this  game  [No. 
i,  Screen  Song],  and  the  game  went  on. 

They  commenced  the  game  with  only  one  hundred  counters  but 
a  little  whitish,  old-looking  snake  called  lic-bitcbi>  i.  e.  maternal 
grandmother  of  the  snakes,  said  they  ought  to  have  two  more 
counters.  Therefore  they  made  two,  notched  them  so  that  they 
would  look  like  snakes  and  called  them  bitcbi,  maternal  grand 
mothers,  which  name  the  two  notched  counters  used  in  the  game 
still  bear. 

The  cunning  Coyote  would  not  cast  his  lot  permanently  with 
either  side.  He  usually  stood  between  the  contending  parties,  but 
occasionally  went  over  to  one  side  or  the  other  as  the  tide  of  fortune 
seemed  to  turn. 

Some  of  the  genii  of  those  days  joined  the  animals  in  this  contest. 
On  the  side  of  the  night  animals  was  the  great  destroyer  Yeitso,  the 
best  guesser  of  all,  who  soon  took  the  stone  away  from  the  day  an 
imals.  Whenever  the  latter  found  it  in  the  moccasins  of  their  moon- 
loving  enemies  they  could  not  hold  it  long  for  the  shrewd-guessing 


Jan.  1889.]  NAVAJO   GAMBLING   SONGS. 

Yeitso  would  recover  it.  They  lost  heavily  and  began  to  tremble 
for  their  chances,  when  some  one  proposed  to  them  to  call  in  the 
aid  of  the  "gopher,  nasizi.  He  dug  a  tunnel  under  the  moccasins 
leading  from  one  to  another  and  when  Yeitso  would  guess  the  right 
moccasin  the  gopher,  unseen  by  all,  would  transfer  the  stone  to 
another  place  [See  Song  No.  7].  Thus  was  Yeitso  deceived,  the 
day  party  retrieved  their  losses  and  sang  a  taunting  song  of  him 
[No.  2,  Yeitso  Song]. 

But  when  they  had  won  back  nearly  all  the  counters,  luck  ap 
peared  to  again  desert  them.  The  noctivagant  beasts  came  into 
possession  of  the  pebble,  and  kept  it  so  long  that  it  seemed  as  if 
their  opponents  could  never  regain  it.  Guess  as  cleverly  as  they 
might,  the  stone  was  not  to  be  found  in  the  moccasin  indicated  by 
those  who  longed  for  an  eternal  day.  Then  the  owl  sang  a  song 
expressive  of  his  desires  [No.  4,  Owl's  Song],  and  when  he  had 
done,  one  of  the  wind-gods  whispered  into  the  ear  of  one  of  the 
diurnal  party  that  the  owl  held  the  stone  in  his  claws  all  the  time, 
and  never  allowed  it  to  be  buried  in  the  moccasin.  So,  when  next 
the  screen  was  withdrawn,  the  enlightened  day  animal  advanced, 
and,  instead  of  striking  a  moccasin,  struck  the  owl's  claws,  and  the 
hidden  stone  dropped  out  on  the  ground. 

After  this  the  game  proceeded  with  little  advantage  to  either  side, 
and  the  animals  turned  their  attention  to  composing  songs  about 
the  personal  peculiarities,  habits,  and  history  of  their  opponents, 
just  as  in  social  dances  to-day  the  Navajos  ridicule  one  another  in 
song.  Thus  all  the  songs  relating  to  animals  [Nos.  7  ad  fin.~\, 
which  form  the  great  majority  of  the  songs  of  the  Kesitce,  origi 
nated. 

Later  the  players  began  to  grow  drowsy  and  tired  and  somewhat 
indifferent  to  the  game,  and  again  the  wind-god  whispered — this 
time  into  the  ear  of  the  magpie — and  said,  "Sing  a  song  of  xthe 
morning,"  whereat  the  magpie  sang  his  song  [No.  5].  As  he 
uttered  the  last  words,  "Qa-yel-ka!  Qa-yel-kd!"  |(It  dawns!  It 
dawns!)  the  players  looked  forth  and  beheld  the  pale  streak  of 
dawn  along  the  eastern  horizon.  Then  all  hastily  picked  up  their 
counters  and  blankets  and  fled,  each  to  his  proper  home — one  to 
the  forest,  another  to  the  desert,  this  to  the  gully,  that  to  the  rocks. 
The  bear  had  lent  his  moccasins  to  be  used  in  the  game.  They 
were,  therefore,  partly  buried  in  the  ground.  In  his  haste  to  be  off 
he  put  them  on  wrong — the  right  moccasin  on  the  left  foot,  and 


6  THE   AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  II. 

vice  versa;  and  this  is  why  the  bear's  feet  are  now  misshapen.  His 
coat  was  then  as  black  as  midnight,  but  he  dwelt  on  top  of  a  high 
mountain,  and  was  so  late  in  getting  back  to  his  lair  that  the  red 
beams  of  the  rising  sun  shone  upon  him,  imparting  their  ruddy  hue 
to  the  tips  of  his  hairs,  and  thus  it  is  that  the  bear's  hair  is  tipped 
with  red  to  this  day. 

The  home  of  the  wood-rat,  lefso,  was  a  long  way  off,  and  he  ran 
so  far  and  so  fast  to  get  there  that  he  raised  great  blisters  on  his 
feet,  and  this  accounts  for  the  callosities  we  see  now  on  the  soles  of 
the  rat.  , 

So  the  day  dawned  on  the  undecided  game.  As  the  animals 
never  met  again  to  play  for  the  same  stakes,  the  original  alternation 
of  day  and  night  has  never  been  changed. 

TEXT    AND    TRANSLATION    OF    SONGS    OF    THE    KESITCE. 

NOTE. — In  the  Navajo  words  as  they  appear  in  this  paper  the  vowels  have  the 
continental  sounds.  There  is  only  one  diphthong,  ai;  '  denotes  an  aspirated 
vowel ;  c  has  the  sound  of  sh  in  shine;  d  before  a  vowel  has  the  sound  of  th  in 
this ;  j  has  the  French  sound;  /is  always  aspirated,  as  if  spelled  hi;  n  above 
the  line  (n)  is  nasal ;  q  has  the  sound  of  German  ch  in  machen;  t  before  a  vowel 
has  the  sound  of  th  in  thing ;  the  other  letters  have  the  ordinary  English  sounds. 

No.   i.— SCREEN  SONG. 

Atcd'  dilpd'li  taoskle, 
Atcd'  dilpd'litaoskle. 
Kolagd  aind. 

TRANSLATION. 

The  old  screen  hangs  in  front 
The  old  screen  hangs  in  front. 

NOTES. 

afcd',  in  front  of;  before. 

dilpd'li,  it  hangs.  This  is  applicable  only  to  something  broad  and 
flexible  that  hangs  temporarily.  Of  a  curtain  or  portiere  that  hangs 
permanently  they  say  nipd'li. 

taoskle,  something  old,  frayed,  or  worn  ;  usually  applied  only  to 
textile  fabrics  and  clothing  ;  ragged. 

kolagd  aind  is  probably  meaningless. 


Jan.  1889.]  NAVAJO    GAMBLING   SONGS.  7 

No.  2.— YEITSO  SONG. 

Yeitso  tcinila'"  niee, 

Teal  azdetsel  ttini  "Haena  ! ' ' 

Yeitso  tcinild1  niee, 

Teal  azdetsel  feint  ' '  Haena  !  Hane  / ' ' 

"Cd'nendnoa'"  niyeko. 

Teal  azdetsel  feint  '  'Haena  !  Hane  ! ' ' 

TRANSLATION. 

Thus  says  Yeitso, 

Weeping  while  he  strikes  (at  the  moccasins,)  he  says,  "Alas !  " 

Thus  says  Yeitso, 

Weeping  while  he  strikes,  he  says,  "Alas !     Alas !  " 

"Put  it  ye  back  for  me  (where  it  was  before)"  he  says. 

Weeping  while  he  strikes,  he  says,  "Alas!     Alas!  " 

NOTES. 

Yeitso,  an  important  character  in  Navajo  mythology,  a  giant  who 
was  slain  by  the  children  of  the  Sun. 

temild',  thus  he  says,  exactly  thus  he  says. 

teal,  he  cries  (while  doing  something  else) — synchronal  form. 

azdetsel,  he  is  striking  at  it. 

tcini,  he  says.  This  word  may  be  said  of  one  either  absent  or 
present.  Vide  infra,  niyeko. 

haena!  hane1!  exclamations  of  Yeitso  expressive  of  his  chagrin 
and  disappointment ;  herhaps  equivalent  to  Alas  ! 

cd'nendnoa,  ca'ndnoa,  means  "replace  it  all  ye  for  me,"  and 
conveys  the  idea  that  it  must  be  replaced  exactly  where  it  was  be 
fore.  For  the  extra  syllable  ne  I  know  no  meaning.  I  have  been 
told  by  the  Indians  it  is  "just  to  make  out  the  song."  The  luck 
less  Yeitso  hoped  he  might  find  the  stone  if  his  opponents  were  silly 
enough  to  do  as  he  requested. 

niyeko.  Here  the  singer  takes  poetic  license  with  the  word  nigo, 
he  says — /.  e.,  some  one  absent  or  at  a  distance  says.  Yeitso  is  sup 
posed  to  make  his  plea  while  still  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  fire, 
before  he  approaches  to  seek  the  stone.  But  he  says  "Alas!" 
after  he  comes  over. 


THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  II. 


No.  3.— YEBITCAI  SONG. 

Yenaqaniya  kejoji  ke, 

Yenaqaniya  ood  kejoji  ke  ee, 

Yenaqaniya  ad, 

Apdna  b'ttsidi  alkiajdolkego, 

Yenaqaniya  kejoji  ke,  yenaqania  kejoji  ke, 

Yenaqaniya  ad. 

TRANSLATION. 

He  comes  to  us  on  toes  and  feet, 

He  comes  to  us  on  toes  and  feet, 

He  comes  to  us  on  toes  and  feet, 

With  coat  upon  coat  of  fine-dressed  skin, 

He  comes  to  us  on  toes  and  feet,  he  comes  to  us  on  toes  and  feet, 

He  comes  to  us. 

NOTES. 

yenaqaniya,  that  by  means  of  which  one  arrives,  the  "means  of 
transportation."  ye,  a  prefix  forming  with  verbs  nouns  denoting 
means  of  motion,  naqaniya,  he  arrives  at  our  house,  he  reaches  us, 
he  comes  to  us. 

kejbj,  toes. 

ke,  foot,  feet. 

apdna,  buckskin. 

bitsidi,  soft,  pliable,  devoid  of  stiffness;  said  of  finely-dressed 
buckskin,  dead  grass,  etc. 

alkiajdolkego,  in  layers  on  the  person ;  refers  to  layers  or  coats  of 
flexible  material,  one  on  top  of  another,  worn  on  the  body. 

Yebitcai,  one  of  the  genii  or  demigods,  came  late  to  the  game 
and  those  who  preceded  him  sang  this  song.  In  the  dance  of  the 
Yebitcai  he  who  enacts  this  character  moves  with  a  noisy,  shuffling 
gait  and  wears  coats  of  fine  buckskin,  while  the  other  dancers  are 
nearly  naked. 

No.  4.— OWL'S  SONG. 

To-yolkal-nisin-da , 
To-yolkal-nisin-da . 
Hihi  hihi  hi  hi. 


Jan.  1889.]  NAVAJO   GAMBLING   SONGS. 

TRANSLATION. 

I  wish  not  the  end  of  all  the  nights, 

or, 
I  wish  not  the  end  of  the  last  night. 

NOTES. 

fd-tfa,  a  negative  adverb  commonly  divided  so  that  the  first  syl 
lable  shall  precede,  and  the  last  syllable  succeed,  the  verb  or  sen 
tence  which  it  qualifies.  Here  we  have  an  example  of  this  arrange 
ment. 

yolkal,  the  end  of  all  the  nights,  the  end  of  the  last  night;  said  of 
the  approach  of  dawn  on  the  last  night  of  any  period  as  at  the  end 
of  a  festival.  The  owl  here  speaks  of  the  last  night  of  all  time. 

nisin,  I  wish,  I  desire.  This  is  usually  pronounced  insin.  Trans 
positions  for  euphony  are  common  in  the  Navajo  language. 

No.  5.— MAGPIE  SONG. 

A'a'&i-ne!  A'a'd'i-ne! 

Ya'a'ni-aine  !    Yal  a' ni-aine  !    Koya-aine 

Bitd1  alkdigi  bike  yiskd'  ne. 

Qayelkd '  !    Qayelkd '  / 

TRANSLATION. 

The  magpie !     The  magpie !     Here  underneath 

In  the  white  of  his  wings  are  the  footsteps  of  morning. 

It  dawns !     It  dawns ! 

NOTES. 

a'a'd'i  and  ya'a'i  are  imitations  of  the  magpie's  call ;  a'a'i  is  the 
onomatopoetic  name  of  the  magpie. 

koya,  here  beneath,  here  below,  or  within ;  probably  refers  to  a 
hut  or  cavern  in  which  the  game  was  supposed  to  be  played. 

bitd',  his  wings. 

alkdigi,  in  the  white  part;  from  kai  or  lakdi,  white. 

bike,  his  feet;  hence,  also,  his  footsteps,  his  trail. 

yiskd1,  morning,  the  morrow. 

qayelkd' ' ,  it  dawns,  it  is  morning. 

ne  and  aine  seem  to  have  no  meaning. 
2 


10  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  II. 

The  black  quills  of  the  magpie's  wings  are  margined  with  white, 
and  thus  is  the  black  sky  of  night  bordered  at  daybreak  :  hence,  the 
simile  in  the  song. 

In  the  myth,  as  related  to  me,  it  is  stated  that  the  magpie  sang 
this  song ;  but,  in  the  language  of  the  song,  he  is  referred  to  in  the 
third  person. 

No.  6.— CHICKEN  HAWK'S  SONG. 

Yob  qalaend,  yod  qalaend,  yob  qalaend 

Qalaena  end,  qalaena  end,  yob  ayee,  he'nd' ,  /le'nd11 .' 

Naestcd  qastin  cizditini. 

Ta'ti/'d'  ka'  nihtsye  ;  ailapd  cizditini. 

TRANSLATION. 

The  old  owl  hates  me. 

When  alone  I  always  bring  home  abundance  of  rabbits,  that  is 
why  he  hates  me. 

NOTES. 

The  first  two  lines  have  probably  no  meaning. 

naestcd,  the  great  horned  owl,  Bubo  Virginianus. 

qastin :  adj. ,  old ;  noun,  chief,  elder.  The  two  words  naestca 
qastin  I  have  rendered  "old  owl,"  but  they  might  be  translated 
owl-chief  or  ancient  of  the  owls. 

cizditini 9  he  hates  me ;  apparently  an  obsolete  or  poetic  form  ; 
cizami*  is  the  ordinary,  colloquial  form. 

ta'cijcf,  I  alone,  I  by  myself. 

ka',  the  little  wood  rabbit,  the  "cotton-tail." 

mhicye,  I  bring  game  home ;  said  when  an  animal  carries  game 
back  to  its  nest  or  den  or  a  man  carries  it  home  (in  quantities  and 
habitually). 

ailapd,  for  that  reason,  therefore. 

This  song  was  sung  by  the  chicken  hawk  (Accipiter  Cooperi}, 
called  by  the  Navajos  tsinya  ildjehe,  or  he  who  hunts  under  the 
trees.  The  owl  and  the  hawk  were  out  hunting  at  the  same  time. 
The  owl  saw  a  rabbit  and  flew  heavily  towards  it  to  catch  it.  The 
hawk  saw  it  at  the  same  time,  swooped  nimbly  down,  and  bore  it 
away  before  the  owl  could  reach  it.  When  they  met  at  the  game 
the  owl,  angry  with  the  hawk  for  his  discourtesy,  would  not  look  at 
the  latter  or  speak  to  him. 


Jan.  1889.]  NAVAJO   GAMBLING   SONGS.  11 

No.  7.— GOPHER  SONG. 

Naasizi  tse'go  in,  in,  in, 
Naasizi  tse'go  in,  in,  tn, 
Ymtsel!     Ytntsel !    niee, 
A'ha'ei  a'ha'eia'ha'  ie. 

TRANSLATION. 

Gopher  sees  where  the  stone  is, 
Gopher  sees  where  the  stone  is. 
Strike  on  !  Strike  on ! 

NOTES. 

nasizi  or  nasisi,  one  or  more  species  of  pouched  gopher,  probably 
Thomomys.  In  the  song  an  extra  syllable  is  added  for  poetic  re 
quirements. 

tse'go,  to  the  stone,  in  the  direction  of  the  stone  (tse') — /.  e.,  the 
stone  hidden  in  the  moccasin  during  the  game. 

in,  he  sees. 

yintsel,  go  on  striking  it;  literally,  continue  chopping  (something 
lying  on  the  ground).  The  motion  of  striking  the  moccasin  in  this 
game  resembles  that  of  chopping  a  prostrate  stick. 

As  I  have  intimated,  this  song  was  sung  by  the  diurnal  party  when 
the  gopher  was  fraudulently  changing  the  position  of  the  stone  and 
\eitso  was  fruitlessly  striking  the  moccasins. 

No.  8.— ELK  SONG. 

Nisa  nagd'  i  ye-ye-ye.     Nisa  nagd'i  ye-ye-ye.     Nisa  nagd'i  ye. 
Ndtseli,  naapitsilqal ;  tddi  nagd1 
Kolaclnla.     Kolacinla.     Kolacinia. 

TRANSLATION. 

He  wanders  far.     He  wanders  far.     He  wanders  far. 
The  elk,  I  knocked  him  down,  but  still  he  wanders. 
Let  him  go.     Let  him  go.     Let  him  go. 

NOTES. 

nisa  or  niza,  far;  this  form  refers  to  motion,  not  to  position. 
naga*  \ndgd\^  he  travels,  he  roams,  he  wanders. 


12  THE    AMERICAN   ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  II. 

ndtseli)  seems  to  be  an  old  name  for  the  elk  (now  called  tse). 
The  Apaches,  a  tribe  cognate  to  the  Navajos,  apply,  I  am  told,  this 
term  to  a  steer. 

naapitsilqal,  I  knocked  him  down  with  a  club  or  heavy  instru 
ment,  na,  a  prefix  (seen  in  ndnigo,  across)  denoting  that  the  blow 
is  delivered  horizontally;  bi  or  pi,  him;  tsil  implies  that  the  stroke 
felled  him;  qal notes  the  action  performed  in  giving  one  forcible 
stroke  with  some  heavy  implement,  as  a  club. 

tddi,  still,  yet. 

kolaania,  said  to  mean  let  him  go,  or  I  let  him  go,  1  allowed  him 
to  depart  (not  I  released  him) ;  but  the  etymology  is  somewhat  ob 
scure  to  me ;  apparently  an  obsolete  or  poetic  form. 

One  informant  has  told  me  that  this  was  sung  by  one  of  the  an 
cient  genii  named  Tonemli.  One  day  when  hunting  he  met  the 
elk,  knocked  him  down  and  thought  he  was  dead,  but  after  awhile 
elk  rose  and  walked  off  and  Tonenili,  taking  pity  on  him,  let  him 
have  his  life.  When  he  met  elk  afterwards  at  the  game  he  sang 
this  song  of  the  adventure. 

No.  9.— CICADA  SONG. 

Woriistcid  aind, 

Wonistcid  aind, 
Qdnin  qastid  aind, 
Hiya  ake  amd, 
Hiyd  ake  haiye  niiye. 

TRANSLATION. 

Cicada!     Cicada!     His  nostrils  are  gone. 
NOTES. 

womstcid,  the  locust  or  cicada. 

qdnin,  nostrils,  his  nostrils. 

qastid,  an  abbreviation  of  aqastid,  disappeared,  obliterated  by 
being  filled  up.  If  an  arroyo  becomes  filled  by  sand  washing  into 
it,  or  if  a  cellar  is  filled  by  natural  processes,  they  say  aqastid. 

The  other  sounds  have  no  meaning. 

It  is  related  that  when  the  cicada  came  to  the  game  some  scanned 
his  face  closely  to  see  if  they  were  acquainted  with  him.  They  ob- 


Jan.  1889.]  NAVAJO    GAMBLING   SONGS.  13 

served  that  he  had  eyes  and  mouth  like  every  one  else  but  no  nos 
trils.     They  thought  he  must  once  have  had  them,  but  that  they 
had  probably  disappeared  by  a  growth  of  the  flesh. 
In  this  song  we  have  a  rhyme  of  the  significant  words. 

No.   io.— ANTELOPE  SONG. 

Aind.     Lapd'  owo'f    Lapd'  owo1 
Aind.      Tsidi  naqotinyagi 
Tcddi  nagd'ye, 
ffi(  owo',  hi1  owo1 ,  hi1  owo1 ,  he. 

TRANSLATION. 

The  dun  one,  lo  !     The  dun  one,  lo  ! 
Truly  in  distant  glade  below 

Wanders  the  antelope.  a««rroit  Lxi^C1**^ 

NOTES. 

lapd'i  pale  brown,  drab,  dun. 

tsidi  [tstdi,  tsidd\,  surely,  certainly,  truly.  Here  it  means  that, 
although  the  antelope  may  be  far  away,  the  singer  is  sure  he  recog 
nizes  him. 

naqotinyagi,  in  a  distant  glade  below  the  observer  (who  is  sup 
posed  to  stand  on  a  hill)  ;  na  here  indicates  distance ;  qotin  is  said 
of  a  space  seen  through  an  opening,  as  a  room  seen  through  a  win 
dow  ;  here  it  is  said  to  refer  to  a  glade ;  ya,  below ;  gi,  in. 

tc&diy  the  American  antelope. 

naga'ye  [ndga,  nagdi],  he  travels,  he  wanders. 

The  other  expressions  are  exclamatory  or  have  no  significance. 

No.  ii.— BEAR  SONG. 

Tinitil,  tinite,  tinitil,  tinite, 
Tiniti(  benacd'  qdgode  niya  '/ 

Tiniti',  tinite,  tinitil ,  tinite, 

Tini'ti'  benacdi  qaditlo1  qdgode  niya  ? 

TRANSLATION. 

(With)  these  four,  these  four,  these  four,  these  four, 
These  four  things  to  walk  with,  whence  comes  he  ? 

(With)  these  four,  these  four,  these  four,  these  four, 
These  four  shaggy  things  to  walk  with,  whence  comes  he? 


14  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  II. 

NOTES. 

tinitl'>  these  four;  tin  or  //"/,  four;  ti' ,  this,  these.  The  last 
syllable  is  changed  by  poetic  license  to  te  alternately. 

benaca1 ,  something  to  walk  with,  a  figurative  or  jocose  expression 
for  legs. 

qaditlo',  hairy,  shaggy,  a  shaggy  coat. 

qdgode,  from  what  direction,  whence. 

nlya,  he  arrives,  he  comes  here. 

This  is  sung  with  much  emphasis  and  often  in  time  to  motions  of 
head  and  arms  intended  to  imitate  a  bear  walking. 

No.  12.— BADGER  SONG. 
Aind, 

Nahastcit  siti1  Hi,  nahastcit  siti1  na, 
Nahastcit  siti1  iii,  nahastcit  siti1  na; 
"  Waurr"  — aaa,  nigo,  siti1  na; 
Bit  a  indsokdigo  siti'  na. 

TRANSLATION. 

Badger  is  lying  down,  badger  is  lying  down, 
Badger  is  lying  down,  badger  is  lying  down ; 
"Waurr"  he  says,  lying  down; 
With  a  white  streak  down  his  forehead,  lying  down. 

NOTES. 

nahastcit,  the  American  badger. 
sifi',  he  is  lying  down. 

"waurr"  an  imitation  of  the  badger's  growl. 
nigo,  thus  he  says. 
bitd,  his  forehead. 

indsokdi,  a  white  streak  running  down ;  said  of  a  "blaze"  on  a 
horse's  nose;  a  perpendicular  white  mark  on  a  wall  or  a  bluff,  &c. 

No.   13.— SNAKE  SONG. 

Yunani  atcitel,  yunani  at  cite  el ,  yunani  atcite'el-e. 
Qddisisldci",  qddisisldcin . 

TRANSLATION. 

He  threw  him  yonder,  he  threw  him  yonder,  he  threw  him  yonder. 
I  wonder  where  he  lies,  I  wonder  where  he  lies. 


Tan.  1889.]  NAVA.TO    GAMBLING   SONGS.  15 

NOTES. 

yunani,  yonder,  across,  on  the  other  side. 

atcitel,  he  threw  him.  The  form  of  the  verb  here  shows  that  the 
object  is  long  and  flexible,  as  a  snake  or  a  rope. 

qadisislaci" ',  I  wonder  where  he  lies,  qadi,  where ;  ci  or  si,  I ; 
sild',  it  lies  (ci  and  sifd'  are  contracted  into  sistdY,  cin  or  cin  de 
notes  doubt  and  conjecture. 

This  was  sung  about  a  snake.  Its  name  does  not  appear,  but  the 
forms  of  the  verbs  indicate  the  subject  of  the  song,  a  snake  being, 
probably,  the  only  animal  to  which  they  could  well  refer.  A  Na- 
vajo  rarely  kills  a  snake.  If  one  lies  in  his  way,  he  puts  a  stick 
tinder  it  and  flings  it  to  a  distance.  At  the  game  a  snake  was 
thus  thrown  by  one  party  over  among  the  other  party,  and  this  act 
gave  origin  to  the  song. 

No.   14.— GROUND-SQUIRREL  SONG.     I. 

Qazdi  biegi  kbo  sizinee, 

Qazdi  biegi  koo  sizinee, 
Altsbzi  ko  sizini,  notozi  ko  sizini. 
Hid  dtneya,  hid  dineya. 

TRANSLATION. 

The  squirrel  in  his  shirt  stands  up  there, 
The  squirrel  in  his  shirt  stands  up  there ; 
Slender,  he  stands  up  there ;  striped,  he  stands  up  there. 

NOTES. 

qazdi,  some  species  of  striped  ground  squirrel,  probably  a  Sper- 
mophilus. 

biegi,  in  his  shirt ;  bi,  his ;  e,  shirt ;  gi,  in. 

ko,  there,  in  the  place  pointed  to ;  lengthened  by  one  syllable 
for  poetic  reasons. 

sizini,  he  stands  up ;  the  accent  is  changed  for  prosodical  reasons. 

altsbzi,  slender,  slim;  said  of  wire,  etc. 

notozi,  striped,  marked  with  long,  narrow  stripes. 

No.   15.— GROUND  SQUIRREL  SONG.     II. 

Qazdi  nasinestsin,  nasinestsin. 
Tsidiyaicpice  ca'dadecni ; 
Kay  el  indeilgot,  indeilgot. 


16  THE    AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.11. 


TRANSLATION. 

Squirrel  struck  me,  he  struck  me. 
The  titmice  are  angry  on  my  account ; 
They  put  their  quivers  on. 

NOTES. 

qazai,  ground  squirrel.     See  Song  No.  14. 

nasinestsin,  he  struck  me.  The  form  of  the  verb  denotes  that 
several  blows  were  delivered  horizontally  without  a  weapon. 

tsidiyaicpice,  the  specific  name  of  a  very  small  bird,  which  I  have 
not  identified ;  I  believe  it  to  be  a  titmouse.  The  name  refers  to 
their  mode  of  flight  in  close  flocks,  tsidi,  a  bird. 

cadadecni,  they  are  angry  on  my  account,  for  me ;  literally,  they 
close  their  eyes  for  me. 

kayel,  a  quiver  ;  the  combination  of  bow  case  and  quiver  in  which 
the  Indian  carries  his  weapons. 

indeilgot.  I  am  not  certain  of  the  etymology  of  this  word.  It  is 
said  to  mean  that  they  put  their  quivers  on.  The  last  line,  as  a 
whole,  is  said  to  mean  "they  prepare  for  war;  "  as  we  would  say, 
"they  gird  their  armor  on." 

This  ironic  song  was  sung  by  one  of  the  big  animals  in  derision 
of  smaller  beings  who  attended  the  game. 

No.  1 6.— LITTLE  OWL  SONG. 
Aind 

Tdnaodiydgi  bitcd  yad  o  o  o,      |  Repeat  twice 
Tdnaocliydgi  bitcd  yad  ai  at  e.  J    or  oftener. 

TRANSLATION. 

Do  I  expect  (to  find)  him  down  there?     His  hat  sticks  up. 

NOTES. 

aina,  has  no  meaning ;  it  is  an  expression  used  in  beginning  a 
song  by  some  people ;  in  most  cases  it  may  be  omitted  at  pleasure. 

tdnaodiydgi,  do  I  expect  him  there  ?  Probably  I  may  hope  (to 
see)  him  there.  ta,  a  prefix  denoting  interrogation  or  doubt. 
naoclt,  I  expect,  I  look  for  him.  If  I  expect  a  visitor  I  say  naocli. 
ydgi,  a  locative  suffix ;  ya,  below  ;  gi,  in. 

bitcd,  his  hat — *.  e.,  his  crest. 

yad,  it  sticks  up. 


Jan.  1889.]  NAVAJO   GAMBLING   SONGS.  17 

This  was  sung  of  the  burrowing  owl,  glo'bitqd-nastca,  which  sig 
nifies  "  owl-among-the-prairie-dogs."  This  owl  was  an  obscure 
little  individual  at  the  game  and  it  was  difficult  to  see  him,  but  the 
singer  sees  his  little  crest  sticking  up  over  the  surface  of  the  earth 
(half  hidden,  as  his  crest  is  when  he  stands  at  the  mouth  of  his  bur 
row),  and  thinks  he  may  find  him  there. 

No.   17.— WILD-CAT  SONG.     I. 

Nactui  bike  dinl,  yooini  yadni, 
Nactui  bike  dini,  yoolni ya. 

TRANSLATION. 

Wild-cat's  foot  is  sore, 
Wild -cat's  foot  is  sore. 

NOTES. 

nactiii,  the  American  wild-cat,  Lynx  rufus. 

bike,  his  foot,  his  feet. 

dim,  it  aches,  it  pains,  it  is  sore. 

The  rest  has  no  meaning. 

This  was  sung  in  ridicule  of  the  cautious,  delicate  tread  of  the 
wild-cat,  who  walks  as  if  his  feet  were  sore. 

No.   18.— WILD-CAT  SONG.     IT. 

Aind,  nactiii  bitcilyd, 
Nactui  bitcilyd  ; 
Qatle  qalkej. 

TRANSLATION. 

He  looks  like  a  wild-cat, 
He  looks  like  a  wild-cat ; 
The  insides  of  his  thighs  are  striped. 

NOTES. 

nactid,  the  American  wild-cat. 
bitcilyd,  he  looks  like,  his  appearance  is  (that  of). 
qatle,  the  insides  of  his  thighs. 

qalkij,  spotted,  mottled,  marked  with  short  stripes  or  bars;  said 
of  an  animate  object. 

qatle  qalkej,  refers  to  the  peculiar  markings  on  the  inside  of  the 
cat's  thighs. 
3 


18  THE   AMERICAN    ANTHROPOLOGIST.  [Vol.  IT. 

No.  19.— WILD-CAT  SONG.     III. 

Nactui  11  tcokd'le  e, 
Nactid  il  tcokd'le  e, 
Ydgo  najdilgole  ; 
Qdtce  indicgole  ; 
'  lRduu ' '  cilnile  e. 

TRANSLATION. 

The  wild-cat  was  walking, 
The  wild-cat  was  walking, 
He  began  to  run  down  ; 
I  ran  towards  him; 
"Rduu"  said  he  to  me. 

NOTES. 

nactui,  the  American  wild-cat. 

tcokd'le,  he  was  walking ;  said  of  one  who  is  walking  at  a  distance, 
not  beside  the  speaker. 

ydgo,  downwards,  down  [the  hill  understood]. 

najdilgole,  he  began  to  run.  The  syllables  najdi  indicate  the 
commencement  of  an  action  that  continues  some  time. 

qdtce,  towards  (a  living  object). 

indicgole,  I  ran  at  or  to  him. 

rduu,  an  imitation  of  the  wild-cat's  growl. 

cilnile,  he  said  to  me. 

No.  20.— DOVE  SONG.     I. 

Aind, 

Bide  etdge,  bide  etdge  ee, 
Bide  etdge,  bide  etdge  eee, 
Tdni-qokditce  etdge  ee. 
A-di  a-di-e  a-di  a-di-L 

TRANSLATION. 

The  dove  flies,  the  dove  flies, 
The  dove  flies,  the  dove  flies, 
Towards  the  white  alkali  flat  he  flies. 

NOTES. 
bide,  an  abbreviation  of  qacbide  or  qacpide,  the  mourning  dove. 


Jan.  1889.] 


NAVAJO   GAMBLING   SONGS.  19 


efdge,  it  flies. 

tani-qokaitce,  toward  the  white  alkali  flat;  fdm,  that  white  saline 
incrustation  on  the  ground  known  throughout  the  arid  region  of  the 
United  States  as  alkali ;  qokai  (from  the  root  kai),  white  on  the 
ground ;  tee,  towards,  in  the  direction  of. 

No.  2i.— DOVE  SONG.     II. 

Woe  woe  naidildaa, 
Woe  woe  naidildoo, 
Woe  woe  naidildaa, 
Ke  litcitei  naidildaa, 
Tsinolkdji  naidildaa, 
Woe  woe  naidildoo. 

TRANSLATION. 

Coo  coo  picks  them  up, 
Coo  coo  picks  them  up, 
Coo  coo  picks  them  up, 
Red-moccasin  picks  them  up, 
Glossy-locks  picks  them  up, 
Coo  coo  picks  them  up. 

NOTES. 

woe  woe,  an  imitation  of  the  voice  of  the  dove,  "  coo  ;"  used  here 
as  a  nickname  for  the  dove,  as  are  also  the  expressions  red-moccasin 
and  glossy-locks. 

naidild  \_naidild'~],  he  picks  them  (seeds)  up. 

kc,  feet,  foot,  moccasin. 

litci,  red  ;  the  duplication  of  the  last  syllable  is  a  poetic  license. 
ke  litci  might  be  translated  "red  feet,"  but  the  given  translation 
is  more  correct,  considering  the  form  the  adjective  takes. 

fsinolkdji,  glossy  locks;  said  of  a  person's  hair  when  neatly 
combed  and  well  oiled ;  here  said  figuratively  of  the  beautiful  shin 
ing  head  of  the  dove. 


